Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Merry ........

oh, wait..... come back.
ahhh...... :-/ you have to stay on your bottom, Liv.
 hmmmm....... smile.
not exactly.
one more time.
(Okay, this will do.)
Merry Christmas!!!
From all of us to all of you!

I'll see you all back here after the first of the year.  Enjoy your time with friends and family and I plan to do the same while consuming my weight in holiday treats.  :)  

Monday, December 20, 2010

2 Bean Chicken Chili

This is another recipe that has been requested lately.  My SIL introduced this soup to us soon after she and my brother were married and we have all enjoyed it ever since.  Not only is this soup extremely good tasting, it is UBBER-easy to make.  {Just wait.  You'll see.}  So - just for you Melissa- here it is.

2 Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 can Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can Pinto Beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cans chicken broth
8 oz. corn
1 T chili powder
1 clove of garlic
1 jar chunky mild salsa
3 cups cooked chicken
8 oz tomato sauce (Mexican hot if available)
1 chopped zucchini


Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large soup pot on stove top.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.


That's it.  Seriously.

Want to add a little extra to it?  Our family likes to put a dollop of sour cream on top, a good sprinkle of shredded cheese and then scoop it all up with Fritos or Tostitos.  {Has anyone else noticed that my recipes never end up in the low fat category?!}

Another great recipe to warm you all up on a cold (yep - I thought about putting 'chili'.) evening.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Curly Present Bow Tutorial

Have you seen the cute curly bows for presents for sale at Wal-mart and such stores?  You know - those ones that are way over priced, yet very convienient?  Right, those.  Here's a quick tutorial to help you make your own.

 1.  Select your ribbon and cut to length.  I chose 4 colors and cut 2 of each color at about 18 inches.

 2.  Curl your ribbon with the edge of your scissors.
 3. Gather them all up holding them in the middle.
 4.  Cut a small piece of paper to anchor the ribbon to and staple.

5.  Tape your curly bows to your packages to make them extra festive with very little effort.

That was easy!  Just think how many of these you can make at the same price of buying just one from a store. :)

monogram

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Creamy Potato Soup

It is COLD outside!  All I want on nights like these is a bowl of something warm and comforting.  I found this potato soup recipe about a year ago and really enjoyed it.  Since then I have tweaked it to fit my cooking and our tastes.  Several of my friends have asked me to get the recipe on the blog, so here it is.

Creamy Potato Soup 
1 T + 1 tsp Bacon grease *
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
3 or 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed**
1 C half-and-half cream


Extras
Hot Sauce
Shredded Cheese
Crumbled Bacon

Directions:
1.  Combine flour, salt, basil and pepper in small bowl and set to the side.
2.  Saute onion and garlic in bacon grease in large pan until onions are tender and almost translucent.
3.  Add flour mixture and stir well.  Let this cook for just a short amount of time until you have almost a 'nutty' aroma.
4.  Gradually add chicken broth stirring well to keep flour from clumping.
5.  Add cubed potatoes.
6.  Bring to a low boil.  Cover and boil for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender.
7.  Stir in half-and-half.
Top with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon for extra yummy flavor.  (Yeah, added fat, too.)  Serve it up and enjoy the warm, happy feeling in each bite.  My husband also likes to add some hot sauce to his bowl for an added 'kick'.

*Every time I cook bacon I save the drippings in a storage container and put it in the fridge.  It will keep forever and comes in handy when needed.  If you don't have some on reserve, just cook up about 3 or 4 slices and keep some of the grease.

** Peeled or un-peeled - it doesn't matter.  It depends on personal preference.  I usually leave mine un-peeled, but my potatoes weren't very pretty today.

If you fix this up for your family, let me know how you like it.  It's become a staple for us during the winter months - hopefully, it will for you too.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Workshop in Full Swing

In between all the normal daily activities, I've been trying to get all the Christmas preparations done.  We are in full swing!  I'm giving myself until Friday to get all the sewing done.  (Fingers crossed!!)  I finally got the tree and a small amount of the decorations up this past Friday.  Plus, I have a couple of packages that need to be mailed by the weekend.  All very do-able.

My kids have been getting in the Christmas mood this past week, too.  Arts and Crafts have been cluttering up the 'craft room', but it is just too cold for them to do much outside these days.  I love seeing them so intent on their projects.  (The mess afterward- not so much.)
 Our oldest really surprised me with her creativity this weekend.  I thought nothing of it when she said she wanted to make a snowman.  This is what she showed me when she was finished.

I mean, really, why stick to one dimensional art at age 7?

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